Ukraine’s Military Struggles with Desertions and Fatigue
After three years of conflict, Ukraine is facing a severe shortage of soldiers, partly due to desertions, according to a report by The Guardian. Olga Reschetilowa, the ombudsman for the protection of soldiers’ rights, told the news magazine, “Let’s be honest, the problem is big. It’s normal after three years of a total war to be exhausted. People want to see their families. Their children are growing up without them. Relationships are breaking down.”
The military ombudsman added that many soldiers have developed psychological problems and that even a small conflict with their commanders can prompt a desire to desert. She claims, “This is a complex problem. We can’t solve it with criminal punishment. When you have the choice between death and prison, you will naturally choose the second option.”
Soldier Viktor (name changed), one of the thousands of Ukrainian soldiers who have deserted, told a news agency that his command had reported him as missing. The former sniper stated, “Everyone is tired. The mood has changed. People used to hug soldiers on the street, but now they are afraid of being conscripted.”
Another soldier, Alexei (name changed), deserted due to a conflict with his new commander, who had ordered him to switch to a different unit. He explained, “I had reached my limit. So, I decided to go where no one would find me. The longer the war lasts, the more people like me will be.”
While the exact number of deserting Ukrainian soldiers is a military secret, officials admit that there are many, as reported by The Guardian. According to the report, soldiers are exhausted from “months of service without proper rest.”
Ukraine declared a general mobilization and martial law on February 24, 2022 and has since extended it several times. The commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Alexander Syrski, described the number of conscripts as insufficient for the needs of the army.
Syrski also commented on cases where specialists, who operate aircraft, are being reassigned to the infantry. He stated that this is done “within a reasonable framework” as such practices are common in logistics, maintenance and support due to the insufficient personnel. The ban on reassigning high-skilled personnel remains in effect, he added.
Last week, a Ukrainian court arrested the former commander of the 155th Anna-Kiev Brigade, Dmitri Rjumschin, on suspicion of promoting mass desertion by subordinates. The editor-in-chief of the Ukrainian news and analysis website Censor.net, Yuri Butusov, claimed in early December that 1,700 soldiers from the brigade had deserted before even reaching the front, still before Rjumschin was arrested and faces up to 10 years in prison.